Chiropractic Education vs. Medical Education

Chiropractic Education

Doctors of Chiropractic complete 4 years of undergraduate school and 4 years of graduate school. They are required to pass National and State board examinations to obtain licensure. Once licensed, continuing post-graduate education is required for annual license renewal.

This table compares professional graduate school educations for the Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) and the Medical Doctor (M.D.).

Comparison of Hours of Basic Sciences Education in Medical and Chiropractic Schools

Subject

Chiropractic Schools

Medical Schools

Hours

% of Total

Hours

% of Total

Anatomy

570

40

368

31

Biochemistry

150

11

120

10

Microbiology

120

8

120

10

Public Health

70

5

289

24

Physiology

305

21

142

12

Pathology

205

14

162

14

Total Hours

1,420

100

1,200

100

Comparisons of the Overall Curriculum Structure for Chiropractic and Medical Schools